Pluchea odorata (L.) Cass.
Salt marsh fleabane

Family:  Asteraceae

Habit:  Annual or perennial, 5 to 12 dm.  Glandular, ill-scented with purple inflorescence.

Distribution:  Found in moist, often saline valley bottoms, from San Francisco Bay to the Atlantic Coast, Caribbean and northern South America.

Seed unit:  Achene.

Seed: Achene 1 mm. long, minutely rough-hairy; with long, slender pappus bristles.

Embryo:  Foliar type.

Purity instructions:   Pure seed definition:
AOSA: PSU# 50 - Intact achene, with or without one or more of the following structures: beak, bristle, hairs, pappus, wing, or firmly attached floral remnants, provided a true seed with some degree of embryo development can be detected (either by slight pressure or by examination over light).
Piece of broken achene larger than one-half of the original size, unless no seed is present. Seed, with or without pericarp/seed coat; if broken, larger than one-half the original size.
ISTA: PSD #4 – Achene, with or without pappus, unless it is obvious that no seed is present.

Average pure seed units per gram:  36,695 seeds per gram (based on AOSA pure seed units only from 23 samples received for testing from 1996 to 2004).

Range of percent pure seed:   14% to 57%

Range of percent inert:  42% to 85%

Description of inert:  Plant material, sticks, dead insects.

Planting instructions:  400 seeds, TB, 21 days @ 20-30°C; for fresh and dormant seed, prechill recommended.